Voting ended in Albania’s parliamentary election Sunday after a boisterous campaign dominated by the country’s uphill effort to join the European Union and Prime Minister Edi Rama’s bid for a fourth term.

Polls closed at 7 p.m. (1700 GMT) and vote counting is expected to conclude within 48 hours.

Because of mass emigration, the country of 2.8 million people has about 3.7 million eligible voters. For the first time, those in the diaspora — about 191,000 so far this time — could vote, casting their ballots by mail.

Voters were electing 140 lawmakers to four-year terms, choosing from 2,046 candidates representing 11 political groupings, including three coalitions.

Preliminary turnout at 6 p.m. (1600 GMT) was 41.41%, 4% lower than it was in 2021.

Rama’s Socialist Party says it can deliver EU membership in five years, sticking to an ambitious pledge while battling conservative opponents with public recriminations and competing promises of pay hikes.

Voting was largely peaceful, with just a few skirmishes involving candidates and some of their supporters around the country.

“For the most part, excluding some sporadic cases, the process has been in line with the rules and standards,” said Ilirjan Celibashi, the head of the Central Election Commission.

Rama’s main challenger is Sali Berisha, 80, a former president and prime minister, who argues that Albania still isn’t ready for EU membership. He started the campaign borrowing from U.S. President Donald Trump's slogan, which he changed to “Make Albania Great Again,” but eventually settled on “Grandiose Albania.”

More than 570 international observers monitored this year’s parliamentary election. They have planned a news conference Monday afternoon.

AP video by Erion Xhabafti